National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola says the authority of the State will prevail over criminality and lawlessness as government intensifies its fight against organised crime through the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support police operations.
Speaking at a joint media briefing at the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) Coordination Centre in Pretoria on Sunday, Masemola said the joint intervention marks a significant step in strengthening the country’s response to violent crime and organised criminal networks.
Masemola was addressing the briefing alongside Chief of the SANDF, Rudzani Maphwanya, as well as the co-chairpersons of NATJOINTS, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili and Lieutenant-General Siphiwe Sangweni.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of SANDF members under Operation Prosper, which will see more than 2,000 soldiers working alongside SAPS over a period of 13 months.
The intervention will focus on crime hotspots across several provinces, including the Free State, Gauteng, North West, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.
“These areas have been identified through intelligence and crime analysis as being significantly affected by criminal activity,” Masemola said.
He explained that the intervention aims to create space for police to deal with street-level crime while disrupting organised criminal networks.
“The purpose of this intervention is to provide space to the SA Police Service to deal with both street crime and to disrupt, disable and dismantle organised crime groupings through a coordinated operational framework where the SANDF and SAPS will work together to stabilise crime-affected areas and restore the rule of law in communities where criminal networks have sought to undermine the authority of the State,” he said.
Tackling illicit mining and gang violence
Masemola said South Africa is facing increasingly complex organised crime threats that continue to destabilise communities.
In provinces such as the Free State, Gauteng and North West, organised criminal groups involved in illegal mining continue to exploit abandoned and active mining infrastructure, generating illicit financial flows and fuelling violence between rival groups.
At the same time, gang-related violence in the Western and Eastern Cape and parts of Gauteng has contributed to high levels of murder, extortion, drug trafficking and the proliferation of illegal firearms.
“These criminal dynamics are not isolated. They are interconnected and often linked to illegal migration, illicit firearms trafficking, corruption networks and attacks on essential infrastructure.
“The scale, sophistication and persistence of these criminal activities have resulted in this extraordinary and integrated response by government. This is precisely what this joint deployment seeks to achieve,” he said.
Coordinated national response
Masemola said the SANDF will assist SAPS through coordinated deployments, enhanced visibility and targeted enforcement operations in identified hotspots.
Operational coordination will be managed through NATJOINTS, which will oversee intelligence-led planning and cooperation among security agencies and government departments.
Joint Operational Centres have also been established to facilitate coordination between SAPS, SANDF and other law enforcement agencies.
“The objectives of this joint deployment are clear – to stabilise priority crime hotspots, dismantle organised criminal syndicates, restore law and order, and reclaim communities from criminal networks,” Masemola said.
Restoring safety in communities
He said the public can expect increased visibility of security forces, intensified operations against illegal mining and gang activities, and stronger protection of critical infrastructure.
However, Masemola stressed that the intervention is not only about enforcement but also about restoring stability and rebuilding trust between communities and the state.
“Success will therefore be measured not only in arrests or confiscations, but in the reduction of violence, the disruption of criminal networks and the restoration of community confidence,” he said.
Masemola also called on communities to work with law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime, saying public safety is a shared national responsibility.
“Working together, we will dismantle criminal networks, reclaim our communities from violence and lawlessness, and restore the sense of safety and dignity that every South African deserves.”
He further urged parents and guardians to take greater responsibility for their children’s behaviour amid growing concerns that young people, including those as young as 13, are becoming involved in criminal activity.
Chief of the SANDF General Rudzani Maphwanya said the deployment should not alarm ordinary citizens, but that criminals and lawlessness will not be tolerated. Maphwanya says residents have no reason to fear soldiers and that proper rules of engagement have been established.
